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Chapter 808: A Small Goal

Then came the crucial part.

The military supervisor sought out Michelangelo Abbiasso, the Doge of Genoa, and had him form a private Internal Review Committee consisting of the seventeen most influential men in the parliament.

The French military did not interfere with the committee's proceedings; they only asked for one thing: a list of traitors.

Ultimately, out of the 230 people arrested, 69 were confirmed by the committee to have committed treason. The committee even took the liberty of adding seven extra names to the list.

Next came the military tribunals. The result was that all 76 individuals were found guilty without exception, sentenced to either exile or the gallows, and had their entire estates confiscated.

The military supervisor personally led the soldiers in seizing the assets of the condemned. Forty percent was earmarked for military expenses, fifty percent was handed over to the Genoa Parliament, and the remaining ten percent was distributed equally among the citizens of Genoa.

In reality, since the French army executed the seizures, only the military supervisor knew the exact figures. Consequently, the Dumouriez Legion secured seventy percent of the confiscated assets, while the Genoa Parliament and the citizens split the remaining thirty percent.

Since Genoa had a population of just under seventy thousand, each citizen received over thirty francs.

On the day the money was distributed, the entire city of Genoa was in an uproar of joy.

The Genoa Parliament was not only flush with a massive sum of capital but, more importantly, they had used the "traitor review" as a pretext to wipe out their enemies and political rivals. Naturally, they were full of praise for France.

These were the most powerful men in Genoa. As long as they supported France, there would be no dissenting voices among the populace.

Furthermore, with the citizens busy collecting their cash, their sentiments were in perfect alignment with the authorities.

When Napoleon heard his brother mention that "the entire city turned out to see the Dumouriez Legion off when they left Genoa, with many moved to tears," he recalled the scene in Milan where he had been cursed by everyone. He felt so ashamed he wanted to bury his head in the sand.

When Napoleon had been rebuked by Brigadier General Carnot, he had felt a lingering sense of indignation, believing that taking money from occupied territories was an inherent right of an army. Now, however, he realized that the Crown Prince had been very considerate of his pride by not calling him a "fool" outright.

Joseph had no interest in being a saint.

War was funded by the French treasury and cost the lives of French soldiers, so the dividends of war had to be collected in full.

It was simply a matter of technique.

He could not afford to be like the historical Napoleon, who had only managed to squeeze a few million francs and some artwork out of Italy, leaving the entire Apennine Peninsula gritting their teeth in hatred.

The moment France suffered a defeat, the Italian states would inevitably turn their coats.

Thus, Joseph had copied the methods of certain Western powers from future generations, drafting a "Standard Operating Procedure for Resource Collection in Foreign Territories" for the military supervisors' reference.

Of course, this manual circulated only within the French military, and its classification was Top Secret.

Before the war began, Joseph had set a small goal—to earn a profit of ten million francs by the time the fighting in Northern Italy concluded, all while ensuring the Italian states remained deeply grateful to France.

...

Alessandria.

In the hall on the eastern side of the City Hall, the Austrian officers ended their dispute. Melas made the final decision to strike toward Parma, aiming to capture Lodi, southeast of Milan.

Melas looked at his officers and said, "If the operation does not go smoothly, the main army will continue east and enter the Mantua Fortress."

Cervoni immediately raised his voice. "The French only managed to take Milan through a sneak attack. As long as our army remains cautious this time, we will surely occupy Lodi without issue."

The other Austrian officers were not as optimistic. They remained silent, heads bowed.

They had fought the French at Toulon. Given the current balance of forces, they weren't entirely sure they could win in a head-on confrontation.

After a moment, Brigadier General Argentau stood and addressed Melas. "General, I am willing to take responsibility for covering the engineers as they set up the pontoon bridges."

There were two bridges over the Bormida River, but both were wooden structures built by nearby villages with limited weight capacity. To move tens of thousands of troops across the river quickly, a large number of pontoon bridges would be required.

Melas nodded, but then he recalled the elusive nature of the French army and immediately shook his head. "No. Judging by previous battles, the French are extremely cunning.

'A standard advance would likely lead us right into an ambush.

'If we want to cross the river smoothly, we must be even more cunning than they are.'

The officers looked at him in surprise.

Melas narrowed his eyes and said to Argentau, "Tomorrow at noon, take your men and dismantle those two bridges over the Bormida."

The latter was shocked. "What? You mean tear them down?"

Melas smiled. "Tell the engineers to work slowly. At the same time, set up cannons on the bank. If any French cavalry approach, fire to drive them away.

'When dusk falls, immediately put the dismantled sections back together.'

Argentau’s eyes lit up. 'A brilliant plan! That way, the French will be certain we intend to move via the Tanaro River to the north.'

"Exactly," Melas agreed, continuing. "At dawn the day after tomorrow, have the engineers set up the pontoon bridges across the Bormida.

'We will concentrate all our forces, crush the enemy on the eastern bank with maximum speed, and then rush toward Parma.'

...

East of the Bormida River, San Giuliano.

Napoleon tipped his hat to return Joubert's salute, then stepped forward to embrace him with a smile. "Thank God. You’ve arrived a day and a half earlier than I expected."

"Everyone’s morale is sky-high after hearing you captured Lombardy," Joubert replied, his face beaming. "We covered a full twenty-two kilometers in today's forced march."

"You've all worked hard," Napoleon said, ushering him into the tent. He then asked, "How many defenders were left in Genoa?"

"Fifteen hundred," Joubert said. "But there are also fifteen hundred newly recruited Genoese National Guards. With General Dumouriez himself in command, it will be enough to hold off the Austrians for three or four days."

Genoa had previously possessed no army of its own, relying entirely on a few hundred Swiss mercenaries for defense.

Following this conflict, and at Joseph’s suggestion, they had begun forming their own military.

Naturally, they employed French instructors for training and purchased full sets of French equipment.

Joubert asked, "Commander, where are we to deploy next?"

Napoleon shook his head. "The enemy's movements aren't clear yet."

He called out to Lucien outside the tent. "Has Major Garda returned?"

Before his voice had even faded, Garda’s voice drifted in from outside. "Reporting to the Commander! The rangers have discovered the Austrian army is destroying the bridges over the Bormida River."